Amazon employees support Seattle seniors with tech

Robin Taylor-Vaughan spends her days working for Amazon Customer Service on the Kindle Tech Support team. But when she’s done supporting Amazon customers at work, she supports her community, most recently the senior citizens who live at Mirabella, a retirement home in South Lake Union, just a few blocks away from Robin’s office.

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It’s so much fun, and you just feel like you did something good

Robin Taylor-Vaughan

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“We started coming to Mirabella because I met some of the residents walking around South Lake Union, and realized there was a need and interest for something like this,” explained Robin. "When we come we help the residents with their tech problems but we also teach them how to troubleshoot future problems.”

“We’re lucky we live so close to Amazon because they’ve helped us out a lot,” said Ann LeVeque, a Mirabella resident. “Our residents love the one-on-one attention."

“We didn’t grow up with these devices,” said Charlotte Merritt, another Mirabella resident. “Amazon is wonderful – they’re all very patient.”

Robin and her team of Amazon employee volunteers have been to Mirabella four different times to provide tech support for iPhones, Kindles, computers – you name it. They also travel to other retirement communities in and around Seattle. In fact, this “Senior Tech Education” program is part of a larger project that encourages other Amazon Customer Service employees around the United States to get involved in their communities.

“All of us volunteers have technical aptitude,” explained Rahwa Berhe, who is also on Amazon’s Customer Service team in Seattle. “We should share it with the world.”

“It’s so much fun, and you just feel like you did something good,” added Robin. “The residents are so grateful.”

Questions about texting, pictures, and syncing up devices are common during these sessions, but the most common question from the residents to the Amazonians: “When are you coming back?”